Living in Europe for the last two years has dispelled any misconceptions I had or had heard about European professional soccer players not participating in weight-training or strength and conditioning. They definitely do, and even use some Olympic weight-lifting derivatives. However, depending on the trainer, it can go from quarter squatting with light weights using bosu balls that I have seen at Athletico Madrid a few years back, to heavy emphasis on back squats and deadlifting (rare as soccer players will put up a fight as they typically do not like heavy loads on their spine), to many flavors in between. I used to be a big proponent of heavy ass-to-grass back squats and deadlifts since they are effective, but over the years I have learned the hard way that the cost (back injury) is high and there are smarter and better ways to load the legs.
A video recently came out where Thierry Henry says he never lifted and preferred to spend extra time honing his skills on the field. While I agree with his point about fear of missing a chance to score off a crossed ball in the 90th minute because he was in the gym and not training his finishing skills, Thierry Henry had favorable (to say the least) genetics and was arguably one of the most athletic soccer players of all time. Gifted athletic players need to only do the bare minimum accessory work to avoid injury and should spend more time working on technique. Furthermore, Henry only missed a total of 16 games and 71 days from a long career which is very impressive and perhaps, lucky. Interestingly he only missed 1 game at Arsenal while playing for Arsene Wenger who was known for valuing player health with specific eating and flexibility regimes. I bring this up because one of the main reasons to strength train other than to improve power and acceleration is to prevent injuries. Emulating the best athletes in the world is sometimes smart, but often times far from the optimal process.
Now that you are drooling at the mouth to train, below is a sample soccer orientated power and strength training session I created. You can do it 1 or 2 days a week and you can always overload with more reps or more weight. A recent study showed increases in weight (tension) are shown to improve strength more than increases in reps, with neither showing significant differences in hypertrophy (muscle size).
If you do not have access to a pull-up bar then you can find a tree branch or use a doorway. If you do not have access to weights, fill some gallon water bottle up or fill them with sand. You can also fill a backpack with books or your pet (kidding) and use that. Personally, I like to do strength work with rocks in the outdoors.
The workout below may contain exercise you have never heard of or are not sure how to do. I suggest using the powers of Youtube. The 1 step vertical jump are as if you are going up for a header off of two legs. L sits can be done with your hands on a chair and your feet hanging off. Supine iso hamstrings are going to target your glutes and hamstrings simultaneously in a way that helps prevent hamstring pulls and improves positional strength related to top speed mechanics. If you like the workout below, I suggest checking out the ebook Soccer Dominance available on this site (immediate download on Amazon Kindle) or doing a virtual consult to get a program tailored just for you. You can find that information HERE.
